Means for pairing a hermetically sealed wireless device

Abstract

A refrigerated container system is described that includes a wireless personal area network (WPAN) including a plurality of wireless sensor nodes and a coordinator node through which the sensors provide sensor data to a controller for the refrigerated container system. The wireless sensors and the coordinator incorporate a variety of features that ensure efficient utilization of battery life by preventing unintended pairing of sensors with other WPANs and excessive sensor signal processing arising from door chatter. Finally, pairing is performed without pressing a button on the wireless door sensor. Instead, the sensor's magnetic reed switch is enlisted to detect swiping of a magnet by a user to enter a pairing mode.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for pairing a wireless sensor including a switch with a coordinator in a wireless personal area network, the method comprising a pairing mode initiation sequence including the steps of:
 first sensing actuation of the switch according to a first actuation sequence timing requirement; 
 second sensing no actuation of the switch, for a first designated waiting period commencing after the first sensing has ended; 
 third sensing actuation of the switch according to a second actuation sequence timing requirement after the second sensing; and 
 entering a pairing mode with the coordinator only after completing at least the third sensing step. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises:
 fourth sensing no actuation of the switch, for a second designated waiting period commencing after the third sensing, and wherein the entering the pairing mode with the coordinator occurs only after completing at least the fourth sensing step. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first actuation sequence timing requirement comprises at least two open-to-closed switch transitions of the switch. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the first actuation sequence timing requirement comprises a first specified time span, and wherein a duration of the first actuation sequence must exceed the first specified time span. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the second actuation sequence timing requirement comprises at least three open-to-closed switch transitions of the switch. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the second actuation sequence timing requirement comprises a second specified time span, and wherein a duration of the second actuation sequence must not exceed the second specified time span. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein a set of colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are provided to visually aid completion by users of the pairing mode initiation sequence. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein during a second sensing stage wherein the second sensing occurs, a first LED visual signal pattern is presented to users. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein during a third sensing stage wherein the third sensing occurs, a second LED visual signal pattern, differing from the first LED visual signal pattern, is presented to users. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the wireless personal area network operates in a transportable refrigerated container system (“reefer”). 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the wireless personal area network implements communication between the coordinator and the wireless sensor according to a ZIGBEE RF4CE wireless personal area network communication protocol. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein the switch is a magnetic switch. 
     
     
       13. A wireless sensor for incorporation into a wireless personal area network including a coordinator via a pairing operation, the wireless sensor including:
 a switch facilitating generating a sensor status signal; 
 a processor; and 
 a non-transitory computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions, executable by the processor, for pairing the wireless sensor with a coordinator in a wireless personal area network, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing a pairing mode initiation sequence including the steps of:
 first sensing actuation of the switch according to a first actuation sequence timing requirement; 
 second sensing no actuation of the switch, for a first designated waiting period commencing after the first sensing has ended; 
 third sensing actuation of the switch according to a second actuation sequence timing requirement after the second sensing; and 
 entering a pairing mode with the coordinator only after completing at least the third sensing step. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The wireless sensor of  claim 13 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense a status of a control point in a transportable refrigerated container system. 
     
     
       15. The wireless sensor of  claim 14  wherein the sensor is configured to sense an open/closed status of a door. 
     
     
       16. The wireless sensor of  claim 15  wherein the sensor is configured to sense a change in magnetic field in response to a change in the open/closed status of the door. 
     
     
       17. The wireless sensor of  claim 13  wherein the sensor is powered by a battery contained within the wireless sensor. 
     
     
       18. A transportable refrigerated container system including:
 a refrigeration system including a controller; 
 a wireless communication system configured as a wireless personal area network (WPAN), the WPAN comprising:
 a coordinator node; and 
 a wireless sensor node, configured to sense a status of a control point in the refrigeration system and communicate the status to the coordinator node only after a pairing operation with the coordinator node, the wireless sensor node comprising:
 a switch facilitating generating a sensor status signal; 
 a processor; and 
 a non-transitory computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions, executable by the processor, for pairing the wireless sensor with a coordinator in a wireless personal area network, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing a pairing mode initiation sequence including the steps of:
 first sensing actuation of the switch according to a first actuation sequence timing requirement; 
 second sensing no actuation of the switch, for a first designated waiting period commencing after the first sensing has ended; 
 third sensing actuation of the switch according to a second actuation sequence timing requirement after the second sensing; and 
 
 
 
 entering a pairing mode with the coordinator only after completing at least the third sensing step.